The following U.S. patent applications are incorporated herein by reference, in entirety.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/267,441 discloses apparatuses for mounting a marine drive to a hull of a marine vessel. An outer clamping plate faces an outside surface of the hull and an inner clamping plate faces an opposing inside surface of the hull. A marine drive housing extends through the hull. The marine drive housing is held in place with respect to the hull by at least one vibration dampening sealing member that is disposed between the inner and outer clamping plates. A first connector extends through the hull and clamps the outer clamping plate to the outside surface of the hull. A second connector extends through the hull and clamps the inner clamping plate to the outer clamping plate. The inner and outer clamping plates are held at a fixed distance from each other so that a consistent compression force is applied to the vibration dampening sealing member.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/287,888 discloses a stern drive for a marine vessel that includes an internal combustion engine, a flywheel housing located on the internal combustion engine, and a conduit formed through the flywheel housing. The conduit receives and discharges exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine. The flywheel housing can have an inner mounting face for connection to an engine block of the internal combustion and an outer mounting face for connection to a gimbal housing. The inner mounting face and outer mounting face are on opposite axial sides of the flywheel housing. The conduit includes an inlet port through which the exhaust gases are received from the internal combustion engine and an outlet port through which the exhaust gases are discharged from the flywheel housing. The inlet port can be located between the inner and outer mounting faces.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/560,550 discloses a stern drive for a marine vessel. In certain examples, the stern drive comprises a gimbal housing that is configured for connection to the marine vessel, a gimbal ring that is steerable with respect to the gimbal housing about a vertical steering axis, a driveshaft housing that is connected to the gimbal ring, and a trim actuator that is configured to trim the driveshaft housing about a horizontal trim axis. The trim actuator has a first end that is pivotably connected to the gimbal ring at a horizontal first pivot axis and a second end that is pivotably connected to the driveshaft housing at a horizontal second pivot axis. A resilient driveshaft housing vibration isolator is located along the second pivot axis. The resilient vibration isolator isolates vibration forces on the driveshaft housing. A resilient gimbal ring vibration isolator is located along the trim axis. The gimbal ring vibration isolator isolates vibration forces on the gimbal ring. The stern drive has a center of gravity that is located between the gimbal ring vibration isolator and the trim actuator vibration isolator. The gimbal ring vibration isolator can comprise port and starboard gimbal ring vibration isolators, wherein the center of gravity is further located between the port and starboard gimbal ring vibration isolators. The gimbal ring vibration isolator and the trim actuator resilient vibration isolator operate together to isolate vibration forces on the stern drive.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/614,773 discloses systems and methods for combined control of steering and trim of a marine engine unit. The systems and methods include a steering apparatus generating steering signals, a trim control generating trim signals, an electronic unit receiving steering trim and cylinder position signals and sending output signals. A port hydraulic cylinder and a starboard hydraulic cylinder that extend and retract are included. The cylinders connected to first and second port and starboard joints to provide movement of the engine unit. Position sensors operatively connected to each of the port hydraulic cylinder and the starboard hydraulic cylinder generate the position signals. A hydraulic manifold having solenoid controlled valves receives signals from the electronic control unit and operates to extend and retract the cylinders. The solenoid valves receive output signals from the control unit to extend or retract the port hydraulic cylinder and the starboard hydraulic cylinder and the first and second port and starboard joints enable movement of the engine unit vertically and horizontally when the port and starboard hydraulic cylinders are extended and retracted to provide a full range of steering and trim movement of an engine unit using only two hydraulic cylinders.